Rituals and Rite of Passage

Fish-Religious Institution

The Banana Boat Beach Bum crew thanks Mother Earth for providing them with a means of survival in a ritual that is repetitious and redundant. BBBBs fish every morning as soon as they wake up this is how they provide themselves with food for the day. The ritual begins from the second that they grab their fishing poles. The BBBBs start by silently thanking Mother Earth for the feast that they are about to catch. New members to the BBBBs find that they do not start catching many fish, or fish of a great size until they start praying to Mother Earth. The prayer is very short and is more of a chant. It is a private chant within themselves at first, but as the BBBBs wait to catch a fish the catch is vocalized. It starts as a murmur and grows louder and louder until the fish is finally brought on shore. The chant is “Mother, we thank you for the fish!!!!” If the chant is ignored or forgotten, the fish caught will be small and puny, or there will be no fish caught at all. BBBBs that chant while singing on a regular basis are able to catch the biggest fish quickly.  

Quarter- Government

BBBBs will donate any money that is given to them unless it a quarter. They do not have a need to be rich and do not need more than a few quarters for their daily survivor. BBBBs always have a few extra quarters that are kept inside the mesh bag with the sunblock inside the tent. The quarters are mainly used for hygienic purposes. There is a small shower near the public restrooms located on the beach that only costs a quarter to operate. At times when their supply of quarters is running low, or when they have too many, BBBBs will either get rid of the excess by chucking it into the ocean as far as their arms can throw, or they will hold the quarter with both their hands clutch together and their eyes closed. It is at this moment that if they feel they need more money that they will visualize the problem that having too much has caused for them in their previous lives. This ritual comes from the BBBBs belief system that their needs are minimal in a materialistic society that they do not wish to be fully a part of.

Sunblock-Reminder of Civilization

The use of sunblock to the BBBBs minimizes the fear that they have towards civilization. BBBBs do not want to go to a doctor or get sick. They realize that their long hours in the sun will eventually have very dangerous consequences beyond the fact that they will have leathery skin. Sunblock helps assuage this fear. Although BBBBs would love to live on a deserted island completely free of civilization, they realize they do need contact with civilization. The sunblock is a reminder of this. The act of putting on sunblock before leaving their tent in the morning is another ritual that the BBBBs participate in. In fact, the sunblock hands from the ceiling of their tent in a bright green mesh bag. It is impossible to avoid when sitting up in their sleeping bags after a relaxing night spent listening the sound of waves crashing on the surf. This ritual is performed solely as a way to help keep civilization at bay. They do not want to return to 9-5 jobs or a hospital due to skin cancer. Preventive care is the motto of the BBBBs. Sunblock goes on before they even step outside the tent to brush their teeth, or chant to Mother Earth thank you for the fish.

Coconut Tree-Family

The coconut tree is the least developed ritual that the BBBBs have. Because the coconut tree represents relaxation and allows the BBBBs to gather together as a family, the BBBBs just make sure to always welcome anyone to sit with them. If you are sitting under the coconut tree with them, it doesn’t matter who you are, but at that moment you are family to the BBBBs. BBBBs first started sitting under coconut tree because sitting in the hot sun was not an option. Sitting inside a stifling hot tent was not an option either, and that left the only shade available for miles: Coconut Trees. Coconut trees provided a place for BBBBs to sit together and talk peacefully during their downtime. It is a place where they solve any problems, and remind themselves of how lucky they are to live the life that they are living. BBBBs also eat under the coconut tree, and before eating they always thank Mother Earth one more time for the feast that she has helped provide.

Rite of Passage:

Separation-Separation begins for the BBBBs from the minute that they decide to become a Banana Boat Beach Bum Crew member. It is once that they have forsaken their material possessions and severed their ties to civilization that the separation process begins. A potential BBBB member must also quit their job and reduce any times to the civilized world. No cell phones, no computers are a part of this community and new members must learn to live with television.

Liminal-The liminal stage begins once rituals associated with BBBBs are learned. This process is very easy, and almost seamless though and there is not much of a transition period from separation to liminal. At this stage BBBBs are full fledge members of the Banana Boat Beach Bum Crew. They are treated like all of the other members. No one has more power, or less power than anyone else. Everyone has the same expectations of each other. They are expected to keep up with the camp, help provide food, thank Mother Earth, and to share stories with other group members. The nice part about this society is that members are expected and encouraged to help each other out. It is not about who does most, or who didn’t do what, but about participating in what you can. It is a society of relaxation. This liminal stage is extremely easy to get into. Picture yourself on vacation mode—that is the liminal state for BBBBs. They do what they have to do, but not more than that.

Reincorporation

This stage sadly is at the end of the BBBBs life. BBBBs are still full-fledged members even when they are extremely old. This stages is evident if you are BBBB that has been given an air mattress. BBBBs tend to not have anything for comfort, but they do realize that their older members might need a little bit more to be comfortable. Older members are not expected to participate as much with the fishing, but are encouraged to relaxed under the coconut tree and share stories with other BBBBs as much as possible. The reincorporation stage is marked by the stories the older members tell the younger members. It is a reminder to relax and take it easy. You get one life, so live in a way that makes you happy….those of are the themes of the stories that the older members in the reincorporation stage tell.